| Dear Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Family,
Today, the Church radiates a joy that illuminates our souls. The Holy Spirit, the divine poet, has woven a new chapter in our pilgrimage to the Heart of Christ, with the election of Pope Leo XIV. In an age where glowing screens clamor for our attention, how marvelous that we used technology to remain united in prayer, eyes fixed on the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, where joyful white smoke poured out hope against Rome’s May sky—a radiant sign in this Jubilee Year of Hope.
Our diocesan priests, gathered with Bishop Burbidge, offered a Mass on Thursday at 11 a.m., their hearts lifted for the conclave. At noon, some of our parish staff and I, though parted by distance, prayed the Supplication to Our Lady of the Rosary, a cherished May 8th devotion.
Suddenly, incredibly, the chimney unfurled its white billows! When Pope Leo XIV stepped onto the balcony, his voice alive with love for God and evangelical boldness, he called us to bear Christ’s light and led us in a Hail Mary, binding us as one. It was a moment of grace, as Pope Francis might have called it: a gift from the God of surprises—an American Pope!
Our new Holy Father, a son of Chicago’s vibrant streets and a scholar of Villanova’s hallowed halls, unites Chicago and Philadelphia! Shall we feast with hot dogs or cheesesteaks? Let’s have the best of both, followed by two desserts with Fr. Vaccaro, for joy demands abundance! Should our Holy Father visit our shores, we’ll throw a homecoming bursting with pride!
Ponder these divine surprises: Pope Francis was laid to rest on April 26, the Augustinian feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel, the “Mother of Popes.” Pope Leo XIV, an Augustinian Friar, cherishes her devotion. Pope Francis rests in her Basilica of Saint Mary Major; Pope John XXIII entrusted the Second Vatican Council to her Augustinian shrine in Genazzano, south of Rome. Today, on the traditional Feast of Our Lady of Grace, our new pope mentioned her Supplication today at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii. These are not mere coincidences, but the delicate threads of providence, woven by Our Mother who cares for her Son’s Church.
Let us pray for Pope Leo XIV, placing him in Our Lady’s care, that he may lead with wisdom, humility, and love. Let us sing a hymn of gratitude for this gift to our parish, diocese, and universal Church. In this month of Mary, may we echo her fiat, proclaiming with joy: Viva il Papa! Let’s proclaim it with open hearts, for our shepherd and our faith.
In the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Rev. Bjorn C. Lundberg
Pastor |
